Neuropathologic Changes in Arteriosclerotic Psychoses and Their Psychiatric Significance

Among the mental disorders associated with obvious structural damage to the brain, psychoses with cerebral arteriosclerosis occupy a prominent position. Yet there have been few recent neuropathologic studies devoted primarily to this group. Valuable information has been contributed on pathogenic aspects of cerebral vascular disease; with respect to the psychosis itself little has been added to the observations reported by Alzheimer1in 1902. This indicates a certain degree of stagnation in histopathologic research on the subject. One may wonder whether neuropathologic work on psychoses has attained the limits of its usefulness. Perhaps new technical developments are necessary before further progress can be made. However, it is probable that the well established histologic technics, if properly utilized, can still provide much useful information. Wertham and Wertham2pointed out that what is needed is a new outlook rather than new procedures. In their opinion, an impasse has been reached by